Achalasia Center - Jefferson City, MO
Jefferson City Gastroenterologist Doctors for AchalasiaType of Physician: Gastroenterologist What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated. Specialty: Gastroenterology Common Name: GI Doctor Gastroenterologist Doctors in Jefferson City * Capital City Medical Associates  Jefferson City Medical Group  Jefferson City Medical Group  Jefferson City Medical Group  Gastroentestinal Associates  Gastroentestinal Associates  Gastroentestinal Associates  Gastroentestinal Associates  Juan J Pineda MD  Gastroentestinal Associates  Gastroentestinal Associates  Columbia Gastroenterology & Liver Associates  Center for Digestive & Liver Diseases Inc  Raymond H Wilbers MD  Kevin Byrne DO  Heartland Medical Associates LLC  Barbara Dixon-Scott MD  Patients First Health Care Digestive Disease Center  Patients First Health Care Digestive Disease Center  Patients First Health Care Digestive Disease Center  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  Digestive Disease Medical Consultants PC  St Charles Clinic Medical Group Jefferson City, MissouriUpcoming Local Events2012-06-07
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AchalasiaWhat is achalasia?Achalasia is a rare disease of the muscle of the esophagus (swallowing tube). The term achalasia means "failure to relax" and refers to the inability of the lower esophageal sphincter (a ring of muscle situated between the lower esophagus and the stomach) to open and let food pass into the stomach. As a result, patients with achalasia have difficulty in swallowing food.
How does the normal esophagus function?The esophagus has three functional parts. The uppermost part is the upper esophageal sphincter, a specialized ring of muscle that forms the upper end of the tubular esophagus and separates the esophagus from the throat. The upper sphincter remains closed most of the time to prevent food in the main part of the esophagus from backing up into the throat. The main part of the esophagus is referred to as the body of the esophagus, a long, muscular tube approximately 20 cm (8 in) in length. The third functional part of the esophagus is the lower esophageal sphincter, a ring of specialized esophageal muscle at the junction of the esophagus with the stomach. Like the upper sphincter, the lower sphincter remains closed most of the time to prevent food and acid from backing up into the body of the esophagus from the stomach. The upper sphincter relaxes with swallowing to allow food and saliva to pass from the throat into the esophageal body. The muscle in the upper esophagus just below the upper sphincter then contracts, squeezing food and saliva further down into the esophageal body. The ring-like contraction of the muscle progresses down the body of the esophagus, propelling the food and saliva towards the stomach. (The progression of the muscular contraction through the esophageal body is referred to as a peristaltic wave.). By the time the peristaltic wave reaches the lower sphincter, the sphincter has opened, and the food passes into the stoma... Recommended Reading Related to AchalasiaWhat is dysphagia?Dysphagia is the medical term for the symptom of difficulty swallowing, derived from the Latin and Greek words meaning difficulty eating. Mechanism of swallowing Swallowing is a complex action.
Other Related Achalasia ArticlesEmergency Contact for Jefferson City
Nearby Jefferson City Hospitals *Capital Region Medical Center Madison St Marys Health Center Callaway Community Hospital Fulton State Hospital Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital Mid Missouri Mental Health Center University of Missouri Health Care Hospital Boone Hospital Center Columbia Regional Hospital Ellis Fischel Cancer Center Howard A Rusk Rehabilitation Center Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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